Tieplate punching and shearing press



April 17, 1928; 1,666,344

M.- OVESTRUD TIE PLATE PUNCHING AND SHEARING PRESS Filed April 29, 19253 Sheets-Shea. 1

M. OVESTRUD TIE PLATE PUNCHING AND SHEARING PRESS filed April 1925 5Sheets-Sheet 2 April 17, 1928. 6 1,666,344

M. OVESTRUD TIE PUNCHING AND SHEARING PRESS Filed April 29. 1925 3Sheets-Shea. 3

a! J ii- 7 Q 21 :1" 12,116

4 31454 ill/627707 fife/f amsimd s 15. 1916, to E.

Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED P AjTiEiNT OF F MELVIN OVESTBU-D, or STILLW-ATER, MINNESOTA,assreivonor ONE-HALF 'ro TWIN CITY FORGE & FOUNDRY COMPANY, orSTILLWATER, MINNESOTA, A conrons- TION OF MINNESOTA TI'EIPLATEP'UNCHINGAND SHEARING rnnss.

Application filed-April 29, 1925. Serial No. 26,874.

My invention relates to improvements in presses employed in makingtie-plates of the character set out in Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, No. 1,171,581, granted Feb. H. Barrett, the said improve mentsembodying means for punching steel blanks and shearing punched tie-platesections therefrom.

An object of the invention is to provide a durable press of the instantnature, whereby the punching and shearing operations, may be performedrapidly and accurately, to the end that quantity production may beattained at minimum cost.

More specifically it is an object of my invention to supply a pressadapted to perform the initialoperation upon a. blank comprising a longbody plate formed with a flange longitudinally thereof, said operationincluding the transverse severance of said blank into tie-plate sectionsand the punching of apertures in the body plate to provide spike holesin said tie-plate section-s.

Another object of the invention is to provide a press of the presentcharacter, wherein dual punching and shearing operations are performedupon one thrust of the press ram, one operation following the other,whereby the strain upon the press structure is reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a press of thisnature, means for side registering the blank, whereby the aperturespunched in the body plate will be accurately located with respect to theflange on said body plate. Y

An additional object is to 'fit a press of this kind with means forholding a blank preparatory to the punching of the apertures therein,said means serving tostrip the blank from the punches following thepunching operation.

lVit-h the. foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear inthe following description, the invention resides in the novelcombination and arrangement of parts and in the details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed. 1

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a press embodyingmy invention, the base of the frame being broken away; Fig. 2 is adetail'sectional view taken on the line 2 2 Fig. 1;.Fig; 3 is a detailsectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view taken through the punch block asv on the line 4.4 of Fig.2'; Fig. 5 is,- a front elevations-1 view in detail of the bladeassembly; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;Fig. 7 is a "ertica'l sectional view in detail illustrating the punchhead and complementary parts in the bed of the press, said view beingtaken as on the line 77 shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a perspective view ofa tieplatesection perforated and struck from a blank as by the instantpress and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a blank from which suchtie-plate sections are formed.

-Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 8 thereof, it willbe noted that the tie-plate section A, formed my improved press,includesa biOd) plate portion or platform 1.0 and-a flange port-ionllperpend icular to said platform. Inan operation performed by mechanismother than that shownherei-n, said flange portion 11 is bent intotheposition shown in dottedlines to form a jaw member a for engagementwith the upper'surface of the base of a rail restingon the platform 10Apertures 12 punched in the platform lQby-the instant press receivespikes which are driven into'a tie, the two spikes in the two aperturesre-. mote from the jaw member a being adapted to catch over theuppersurface of the rail base opposites-aid jaw member. Said two spikes,owing to the relation of their respeca bed 14 supported bysaid base, apower crank-sl'ia-ft 15 journaled inthe upper ends of said frame members13,21 ram 16 slidably guided between said frame members and a pitman 17connecting said ram with said member-s13 rising from a fbase(nqt'shown),

'provide a tool attaching plate 16 cranksshaft, all of said parts beingcommon to the conventional heavy duty type of presses.

The bed ll is supplemented with an additional bed'nie1nber14;*, which isspaced to the rear of the bed proper, theadjacent upper corners of saidbed. 14-. and bed member 15% being fitted with hardened 15, 15 forco-opcration with shearing blades soon to be described. In the upperface of said bedis a depression 16 in which a mounting block 17 isreceived for sliding adjustment laterally of the press. Screws 18,threaded in the bed 1-1 and abutting at their ends against the outeredge of the mounting block 17', serve to thrust the block inwardly ofthe bed 14, while bolts 19, received in slots 20 in said block andthreaded in said bed, serve to clamp said mounting block 17' inlixedpositions on the bed 1 1.

Ar inturned pair of clips or guides 21.,

secured to themountingblock 17, co-operate with similaropposing guides21 mounted on the face ofthe bed 11:. Said opposed guides 21, 21. arearranged to loosely embrace the edgesof the body plate of a blank 13 androughly direct the blank into position laterally of the bed 1 1, whensuch blank is introduced to the press. The depression I91 recess 16, inwhich the mountingblock 17 is slidable, extends inwardly of'the bed andbeneath the position occupied by a blank B between the guides 21, 21"-.In said inner part of said recess 16 are seated two female punch dies22, 22, each formed with four punch receiving apertures alignedlongitudinally thereof. The punch die 22 is suitably secured to the bed1 1 as by a bolt 23, said bed being supplied with punching outlets 24cregistering with the apertures in said punch dies 22, 22. The punch die22 is apertured like said punch die 22, its aperturesregistering withpunching outlets 2 1 in the bed 1d, said punch die 22 being boundedge-to-edge with the: slidalole mounting block 17,' by means of bolts25 reaching through said block and threaded in said die 22. 5

Co-operating with the shearing dies 1:3. 15 and with-the punch dies22,22 are shearing and punching ii'ieinbers carried bylhe ram 16, thelower portion of said ram being cored out in the usual manner (Fig. 1)to lhe shearing membercompr ses a blade assembly C including ahanger-block 26 depending from the rain plate 16. blade clamps 27 b0ltedto saidblock, and blades28, 28 held in said clamps 27. Thehanger=block26, oblong in horizontalcross section, hangs laterally 0fthe-ram 16, the blades 28, 28" being disposed face to face with thefront and back ofgthe block respectively.

The clamps 27, cod at the opposite, edges of the hangerblock 26, bear:at their upper ends beneath shearing dies shoulders 26 (Fig. 5) on saidblock 26. These clamps 27 are formed with beveled surfaces 27 (Fig. (5)con'iplementing beveled edges 29 of the blades 28, 28 and are alsoformed 'with recesses 27" to accommodate shoulders 30 at the upperportions of said blade" 28, 2C. lioltslll, passing through the clamps 27and threaded into the block 26, dra\vthe former against the bevelededges of the blades 28, 28 with the result that said blades are rigidlytightened against the faces of the hanger-block 26. Being thus bound andbacked at their upper ends against the block 26 through the medium ofthe clamps 27, the blades 28, 28 are held securely to the rain 16. Thecutting edge of each of the blades 28, 28 is shaped to con form with theupper surface of the body plate 1O of ablank .15 and is rcccssed as at32 to acconnnodate the upstanding flange 1.1-" on said blank. the blades28, 28 and hanger-block 26 is slightly less than the distance betweenthe cutting edges of the shearing dies 15, 15 said blades being arrangedon the ram 16 so that they will co-operate with said shearing dies 15,15, whereby a blank placed upon the bed 14 will be sheared transverselyon two lines ofseverancc. The punching member D includes a pendant'punchblock 33 hanging from the plate 16 of the rain 16. This punch block 33is oblong in horizontal cross'section and disposed at right angles 33 isformed with a horizontal groove 33 The combined thickness of therein andalso with four upright grooves 33 (Fig. 4E). The latter grooves receivehardened, open sided chucks 3%, said chucks being clamped in theirrespective slots 33 at either sideof the punch block 33 by'ineans ofclan'iping bars secured to said block-33 by bolts 36 passing throughsaid bars 35 and threaded in the block Retaining flanges 3 1* (Fig. l)at the upper end of each chuck 34 fit in con'iplen ienting enlargement-sof its respective groove 33" and support the chuck 3-1 in place .in saidgroove preparatory to the binding of a clamping bar 35 thereagainst.Each clamping bar 35 is also supplied with a. retaining flange or lip 35(Fig. 7) adapted to {it in its corresponding groove '33. in the punchblock 33, said flange serving to support the clamping bar during thefitting of the 'bolts Stlto said block. Punches 37. one for each chuck34-,fare inserted in said chucks and held. with tlieirupper endsabutting the punch blo'ck 33, atthe tops of the grooves 33", by means ofset screws 38 punch-es on the other side of said block. These twogrou1'3s of punches operate simultaneously upon a blank, one grouppunching four apertures in the black B for one tieplate sect-ion A andthe other group punching four apertures in said blank for a secondtie-plate section. In this connection it will be observed that theapertures in the punch dies 22, 22 complement said two groups of punches37. Arranged centrally of each group'of punches 37 is an upright plunger39, the same being sl'idable up and down in a vertical bore 40' in thepunch block The two plungers' 39' are identical, each including a footportion snugly slid-able in its respective bore 10 and also inchidiiw astem 39 rising from the foot and slichible at its upper end in a bore inthe rain plate 16. Fitted on said stem 39 above the plate 16 is anadjustable stop nut 11 which limits the depression of the plunger 39with respect to the rain 16, under the action of an expansion spring 42encircling theplunger 39 and backed at itsupper end against the lowerside of the 'r'ar'n'plate 16 and at its lower end against the plungerfoot. The bot-tom of the foot of each plunger 39 is normally in a planebeneath the lower extremities of the punches 37. lVith said parts thusrelated, the plungers 39 engage a blank B on the bed 14 before the sameis reached by the punches 37. Giving way under the downward pressure ofthe ram 16, the plungers 39, yieldingly impinged against the blank, holdthe same down against the bed 14 as said blank is struck and perforatedby the punches 37. Upon the upward or return stroke of the ram 16, theplungers 39, acting under the force of the springs 12 keep the blankdown against the bed 14 until the punches 37 are stripped therefrom,after which time, the stop nuts 11 engage the plate 16 and cause theplungers39 to rise with the rain.

The shearing edges of the blades 28-, 28"

rest sufiieiently beneath the lower ends of p the punches 37 so that theshearing of a blank precedes the punching thereof. This arrangementsaves the. press structure against the combined strains in shearing andpunching that would otherwise occur were the two operations to beeffected simultaneously. 7

It being essential that the apertures 12 in the body plate 10 of a:tie-plate section remote from the flange 11 be accurately disposed withrespect to said flange, I have provided a device for side registering ablank B on the bed 1 1 of the press. This device includestwo spacedguidebraekets 13, anchored at their ends on the bed 14 and transverselyov'erreaching the greater part of the body plate 10 of a blank B roughlyguided between the clips 21, 21. Each guide bracket has a roller 13 journaled at the end there+ able head 46 and at the outer end of saidcarriage block 44 is an anti-friction roller 17, which is actuated by'acam-like arm 18 depending from the ram 16. Urged inward by the action ofsaid ar1nl8 against said roller 15, the head 46 is brought to bearagainst the outside of the flange 11" of the blank B with sufiicientpressure to slide the blank sidewise against the guide rollers 43. lYiththe head 16 properly adjusted, the blank is accurately side registeredthereby by the bringing of the inner side of the flange 11* closelyagainst said two guide or registered rollers43. A roller 49 journaled inthe frame 15 provides an anti-friction brace'for the back of the arm 48and prevents it from springing away from the roller 47 on the carriageblock 14, when the head ld thereon engages a blank B. Springs 50stretched between lugs 51, 52 respectively fixed to the carriage block14 and guide frame 45 retract the former when the camlikearm 48 iscarried upward by the ram 16. This retracting throw of the carriageblockkl lremoves the pusher head 46 out of the way of'a blank B wherebythe same may be freely introduced to the press and fedthereintofollowing eachworking thrust of the ram 16;

As the press is operating, the advance end of a blank B is thrustagainst an abutment preparatory to the descent of the ram 16. Saidabutment comprises a screw 53, threaded in lug 54 depending from abracket 55 traversing the a supplementary bed member 14h and anchored atits ends to said member. The distance between the face of said screw 53andth e cutting edge of the shearing die 15" on the bed member 141iscqual to the distance between said cuttingedge and the cutting edge oftheshearing die 15 on the bed 11. 'l l1us. it will be understood thatthe two blades :28, 28 will sever two identical sections from the blank13. The shearing bladesi28,'28 andtheir complementary dies 15, 15 havethat relation withrespect to the punches 37 and their complementarypunch dies 2' wherein the lines of severance of the blank-B fall betweenthe grouped apertures made by the punches 37. In starting a blank B intothe press, the foremost group 7 of punches 3'7 are first permitted topunch the blank at the end thereof. Said blank is then shifted forwardlyto position barely out of the path of the forward blade 28-,

whereupon the two groups of punches operate upon the blank. Thereafter,the feeding of the blank is carried out in the normal manner, the endthereof being thrust against the abutment screw 53 followmg each workingthrust of the ram 16. v

The tie-plate section severed from the foremost end of a blank B, fallsinto a chute iails of different weights and, in handling such variouslyproportioned blanks, it is clesirable not only that the space betweenthe guide clips 21, 21 be adjustable, but that the punches 37 forperforating the body plate 10" furtherest from the flange 11 beadjustable to properly form said perforations with respect to saidflange 11. Since the clips 21 are anchored on the adjustable block 17and since the punch die 22 is attached to said block, said parts may beadjusted upon adjustment of the block 17". To properly locate thepunches 37 complementing the adjustable punch die 22, I form differentlyproportioned chucks 34: in which the inner walls 34 (Fig. 4) thereofvary as to thickness. 7

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, maybe made within the scope of what is claimed-without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. In a press of the class described, a frame, a bed thereon, avertically reciprocable mm above said bed, shearing and punchingelements carried by the ram, means on the bed con'iplementing theshearing and punching element's, said elements being arranged in tandemin the direction of feed to said press, the shearing element comprisinga pair of blades for severing two sections freni a blank transverselythereof, the ynmching el'ei'i'ient comprising spaced punches forperforating two zones in the blank to be severed by said blades on asubsequent stroke of the ram, and a pair of opposltely arranged deliverychutes,,each disposed to re- .ceive one of the sections severed from thepunching elements carried by the rain, means 7 on the bed complementingthe shearing and punching elements, said elements being arranged intandem in the direction of feed to said press, the shearing elementcomprising a plurality of blades for'severing sections from a blanktransversely thereof, the punching element comprising spaced punches forperforating zones in the blank to be severed by said blades on asubsequent stroke of the ram.

3. In a press of the class described, a frame, a bed thereon, avertically reciprocable ram above said bed, shearing and punchingelements carried by the ram, means on the bed complementing the shearingand punching elements, said elements being ar ranged in tandem inthedirection of feed to said press, the shearing element comprising a.plurality of'blades for severing sections from a blank transverselythereof, the punching element comprising spacedpunches for perforatingzones in the blank to be severed therefrom by said blades on asubsequent stroke of the ram, a plurality of delivery chutes, one foreach section cut from a blank on one stroke of the ram, said chutesbeing arranged to receive their respective ssections and convey them tovarious selected points of delivery.

4. A press of the class described, adapted to punch holes in the bodyplate of a blank at a given distance from an upright flange on said bodyplate, said press including a frame, a bed thereon for said blank, a ramreciprocable in the frame above said bed, a punch carried by the ram, amember on the bed complementing said punch, means for registering, theblank with respect to the punch, said means including a bracket fixed tothe bed and overreaching a portion of the body plate of the blank, saidbracket forming an abutment for one side of said flange, a pusher memberopposing said bracket and means operated by the ram for moving saidpusher member against said flange and pushing the blank into positionwith the flange against said bracket.

5. A press of the class described for punching'holes in an object, thesame includ ing a frame, a bed for the object, a ram reciprocable insaid frame above said bed, a punchcarried by the ram, a member mountedon the bed and complementing said punch, means for registering the blankwith respect to the punch, said means including an abutment for saidblank and a device for pushing the blank against said abutment, andmechanism operated by the ram for shifting said device.

' 6. A press ofthe class described including a frame, a'bed thereon, aram reciprocable 1n said frame above said bed, a punch block dependingfrom said ram, laterally spaced punches carried in said block, one ofsaid punches being ad ustable laterally of the ill) punch block to varythe distance between saidpunches, members on the bed complementing saidpunches, the member companion to said adjustable punch being adjustableto accord with the various positions of said punch.

7. A press of the class described including a frame, a bed thereon, aram reciprocable in said frame above said bed, a punch block dependingfrom said ram, laterally spaced punches carried by said ram, one of thepunches being adjustable laterally on the punch block to vary thedistance between said punches, members on the bed co1nple menting saidpunches, a block slidably adj ustable on the bed, a guide clip fixed tothe 6 bed, an opposed guide clip fixed to said ad justable block, saidclips forming guides for a blank to be punched, the member complementingsaid adjustable punch being fixed to said block, the movement whereofpermits of the widening and narrowing of the space between said clips toaccommodate blanks of different dimensions and the correspondingvariance between the members complementing said punches.

8. A press of the class described including a frame, a bed thereon, avertically recipro-' eating ram, a punch block depending from the ramand formed'with upright grooves n therein, open-sided chucks, one fittedin each groove, a clamping bar traversing the open sides of the chucksand binding said chucks in place Within their respective grooves,punches fitted in said chucks, set nuts, one for each chuck, said setnuts being threaded in the clamping bar and each adapted to be turnedinto the open side of its respective chuck against the punch therein forsecuring said punch in said chuck, and means on the bed complementingsaid punches.

9. A press of the class described including a frame, a bed thereon, avertically reciprocating ram, a punch block depending from the ram andformed with upright grooves therein, open sided chucks, one fitted ineach groove, said chucks co-operating with said block to prevent themfrom falling from said grooves, a clamping bar hung on the block andtraversing the open sides of said chucks, bolts threaded in the punchblock the open side of its respective chuck against the punch therein,and means on the bed complementing said punches.

10, A press of the class described includ ing a frame, a bed thereon, areciprocating ram, a punch block carried by the ram and formed with agroove therein, an open sided,

chuck applicable to said groove and adapted to co-operate with the punchblock and be thereby stationed in'place with respect to said block,means for clamping the chuck in its place in the punch block, a punchapplicable to said chuck, clamping means for engaging with the punchthrough the open side of said chuck, said clamping means being adaptedto bind the punch in place within said chuck, and means on the bedcomplementing said chuck.

11. A press of the class described including a frame, a bed thereon, areciprocating ram, a block carried by the ram and formed with shoulders,blades abutting said shoulders at the butts thereof and disposed eachwith the inner face thereof against a face ofsaid block, said bladeshavingoppositely beveled edges, blade clamps complementing said bevelededges of said blades, clamping means co-operating with the blade clampsand with said block for securing the blades face to face against theblock, and means on the bed complementing said blades.

12. A, press of the class described including a frame, a bed thereon, areciprocating ram, a block carried by the ram and formed with a shoulderthereon, a blade abutting said shoulder at the butt thereof and disposedface to face against said block, said lade having a beveled edge,clamping means co-operating with said edge of said blade and with saidblock for securing the blade against the block, and means on the bedcomplementing said blade.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MELVIN OVESTRUD.

